Dear Chennaiite

Dear Chennaiite,

You have the unique distinction of belonging to a unique city with a memorable old name: Madras!

Dear Chennaiite,

You have the best of many worlds — culture, tradition, heritage, education, healthcare, cinema, a music universe: light music, folk and carnatic, the shining sands of namma beaches from Marina beach to Covelong, the tall technology of OMR and the scenic coastal roadway named ECR, Yellove in Chepauk, to name a few.
Chennai is home of the Chennai Super Kings, home of the Chess Champ and home of outstanding musicians, actors, sportspeople, authors, academicians, leaders,  business folk…! 

Dear Chennaiite,

Does your soul stir in such verse? 

“Scents of rose and jasmine, 

Aromas of vadai and kaapi,

Beats of drums and mridhangam,

Strings of veenai and violin,

Deepest baritones and highest lilts,

Action in cinema and icons in real life,

Superstars,

Super Kings,

Super Makkal in a Super city that’s namma Chennai! 

Tell us now...Were you Made in Chennai?”

Dear Chennaiite,

Do you love the bustling Chennai Central station? 
Do you love the beach offering of Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal? 
Do you love the filter kaapi of Mylapore and the tea stalls of Taramani? 
Do you love the greens of Theosophical Society and the blues of Elliot’s Beach? 
Do you love the monkeys of Guindy National Park and the chimpanzees of Vandalur Zoo? 
Do you love the scintillating shops of the malls and the sparkling stores on Ranganathan Street?

Do you love the planned roads of Anna Nagar and the bemusing bylanes of TNagar? 

Do you love the powerful songs of Bharathiyaar and the mesmerising melodies of Thamizh cinema? 
Do you love the reverberating loudspeakers of devotion and the passionate voices of artists?

Do you love the cricket of Chepauk and the football that’s Chennaiyin? 
Do you love the heroes and heroines of Madras and the Dudes of today’s cinema? 
Do you love the ten months of the Chennai summer and the two cooler months of Chennai summer? 😉

If your answer is yes to all, then you deserve three super cheers right here, right now. 👏🏽 

• Sujata Tarakesan, Chennaigaga(R)
• email sujata@chennaigaga.com